The New York Press Club Journalism Awards

Breaking News! The New York Press Club is adding another new award category to our bevy of award topics. The new Courtroom Illustration category will recognize exceptional artistic and technical competence that captures the moment and emotion of the court proceedings.

It is in addition to 28 other categories ranging from outstanding investigative journalism, spot news reporting, podcasts, and the best from weekly community publications. Most award categories are spread across today’s full news media: online, broadcast, and print. For more information on this categories and the others, see below. The deadline to enter is April 15.

An enduring tradition in New York media, the annual New York Press Club Awards For Journalism honor excellence in the craft by writers, reporters, editors, producers, shooters and multimediographers.

Entries are considered in more than 25 regular categories of reporting from material submitted by New York metropolitan area news organizations and individual journalists.

Judging is by prominent working journalists, former journalists and academics who are selected for their expertise in each category. Their decisions are final.

Awards unique to the New York Press Club competition are the Gold Keyboard Award, honoring excellence in investigative journalism; Nellie Bly Cub Reporter, honoring the best journalistic effort by an individual new to the profession and The Rev. Mychal Judge Heart of New York Award for reporting that is most complimentary of New York City.

Winners receive an engraved plaque and are invited to join the New York Press Club at its annual Awards Dinner in June 2018.

** New Award **

Courtroom Illustration: For exceptional artistic and technical competence that captures the moment and emotion of the proceedings within a believable aesthetic. Links required to artwork published online or broadcast within 24 hours of the story.

NY Press Club Special Awards (Open to All Media)

Gold Keyboard: (Single winner) For the story or series that constitutes outstanding enterprise or investigative reporting. The intention is to award a reporter or news team for digging up and skillfully presenting a story that otherwise would not have been told.

Nellie Bly Cub Reporter: (Single winner) Best journalistic effort by an individual with three years professional experience or less. This is for newcomers to the profession, not newcomers to the tri-state area. A letter from a supervisor attesting to professional tenure must be submitted.

Rev. Mychal Judge Heart of New York: For the story or series that is most complimentary of New York City. Good news about people, places, deeds.

All Media (Print, Broadcast, Online)

Business Reporting: For hard news coverage, story or series, of developments in business, finance, economics, trends or management.

Commentary: For distinguished editorial writing or commentary. Emphasis is on timeliness, clarity, balance and certain knowledge presented in a way that can sway or convincingly inform public opinion.

Continuing Coverage: For reporting of an ongoing story that, over time, demonstrates through enterprise and/or individual reporting, meaningful developmental broadening of the subject, event or premise.

Courtroom Illustration: For exceptional artistic and technical competence that captures the moment and emotion of the proceedings within a believable aesthetic. Links required to artwork published online or broadcast within 24 hours of the story.

Crime Reporting: For hard news coverage of crime, cops and courts.

Documentary: For excellence in investigative, long-form reporting. Subject must be consequential and of contemporary significance. Presentation must be in traditional documentary form, not as a series or collection of related material published serially.

Entertainment News: For timely, news-based coverage of the arts, books, TV, movies, dance, architecture, or the business of entertainment.

Feature Reporting: For human interest reporting. No hard news. Entries must NOT fall into the Entertainment News, Science Feature or Sports Feature categories. Topics can include feature angles or tell unique stories based on any subject except those that would qualify for the categories mentioned above.

Feature Reporting-Science Medicine Technology: For human interest reporting. Can include an element of hard news but should focus on the human interest angles of any subject related to science, medicine or technology.

Feature Reporting-Sports: For human interest sports reporting. No hard news. Entries must not fall into the Feature Reporting or Sports News categories. Topics can include feature angles on any subject related to sports.

Food Writing: For skillful, knowledgeable and discerning reporting/writing about food. No restaurant reviews but chef assessments are appropriate. Focus should be on the art, science and aesthetics of sourcing, preparing and serving any kind of dish or meal.

Humor: For excellence in skillfully applying humor, satire or irony in the interpretation of current events or personal experience. Open to all forms: art, written, video, audio.

Infographics: Entries must significantly enhance understanding or comprehension of the topic at hand or tell a complete story without accompanying editorial.

Political Reporting: For timely reporting in the realms of politics, government, the judiciary, public bureaucracies, civil service, etc.

Special Event Reporting: Coverage that exhibits editorial effort beyond what is usual and ordinary. This might include special coverage of anticipated events, specially featured enterprise reporting, or any reporting of consequence that transcends the usual, day-to-day routine.

Sports News: For hard news coverage of professional or amateur athletics.

Spot News: Any unplanned, unscheduled news coverage requiring an immediate response. The entry must exhibit real-time reporting during or soon after an event on one or several platforms, among them: broadcast, website, print, social media, mobile.

Travel Writing: For distinguished reporting and writing about travel. Focus is on evocative, informative chronicles of personal travel experiences. Exemplary "destination" pieces that include listings for local access, accommodations, attractions, etc., are also eligible.

Television-Specific Award

News Special: For one-time news "specials." Entries should run a maximum of 35-minutes though leeway is provided, depending on the material.

Internet-Specific Award

Podcast: For skillful presentation of a story or series in podcast form. Must be portable and playable "on-demand". Must be accessible by download and/or Web stream. Judges must be able to listen without digital rights management hurdles.

Photo Awards (Print, Online)

Feature Photo: A photography, not an editorial award. Photography must display extraordinary technical and artistic competence, originality, sensitivity and subjectivity in a human interest or feature report.

Spot News Photo: Best photograph of a news story or event under breaking news conditions.

Video Awards (TV, Online)

Feature Video: A videography, not an editorial award. Videography must display extraordinary technical and artistic competence, originality, sensitivity and subjectivity in a human interest or feature report.

Spot News Video: For the best news videography of a breaking story by an individual or crew. This one is about the camera skills more than the editorial. Entries must have been aired within 24 hours of the story or within regular deadlines in the case of a TV news magazine show.

*Community Coverage
Eligible news organizations include community publications with the following stipulations:

must be a print publication established one year or more from the time of submission

must cover a specific neighborhood, borough or county within the NY metropolitan region (the same publication cannot cover multiple boroughs)

must be either a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly publication (no dailies, quarterlies, bi-annual publications or websites)

must have a minimum page count per edition of 10 pages (publication sections may also be counted towards the 10 pages)

must be a publication that allows letters to the editor or an opinion section

1. The competition is open to individuals and news organizations based or operating in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut and to individuals working elsewhere on behalf of New York metro-area news organizations.

2. All entries must have been published or broadcast during the previous calendar year. Entries must be presented as they were first published or broadcast.

3. Entries must be submitted in digital form and uploaded to our awards server from this Web site. Information about submission formats and requirements can be found in the "Tech Specs" section.

4. An entry may not be submitted in more than one category. There is an exception affecting a small number of awards categories. The exception allows a piece to be entered separately for different awards but only by different talents on the creation team. For example, in television, an entry may be submitted by a reporter for one of the editorial awards. The same entry may also be entered by the shooter for one of the videography or photography awards.

5. There is no limit to the number of entries an individual or organization may make in a particular category as long as each entry is singular. For example, Reporter "A" may enter as many pieces into the Consumer Reporting category as desired, as long as each piece is on a different topic. Organization "B" may enter as many pieces by as many reporters as desired into a particular category as long as each entry is on a different topic.

6. Multi-part or series entries must be limited to “the heart” of the material: For print/Web entries, five-parts maximum or 5,000 total words, moreorless. For broadcast entries, 30 minutes total running-time. (30-minute limit does not apply to long-form or non-hard-news broadcast pieces that otherwise fit an Awards category).

7. Digital news entries from broadcast outlets may not be the reporters’ on-air script alone, not just a link to the broadcast. Such entries should have ingredients that are particular to online publishing

8. An entry submitted in an incorrect category will be disqualified. The judges are not able to re-classify incorrectly classified entries.

9. Entry fees are due at time of entry. They must accompany all entries. Fees may be submitted by credit card from the New York Press Club Website OR by check to arrive at the Press Club no later than one week following upload:

The New York Press Club
1324 Lexington Avenue (Box 190)
New York NY, 10128.

Entries for which no entry fees have been received will not be submitted to the judges.

Q I'd like to enter in the Nellie Bly Cub Reporter category. How many pieces should I submit?

A At least one, of course. But if you believe entering several pieces, even on different topics, better showcases your talents, you are limited only by the five-piece, 5,000 word cap we impose on other categories (see below). Multiple pieces should be packaged into a single PDF for upload or if multimedia, as a combination of PDF and Web links.

Q I'd like to enter in the Rev. Mychal Judge Heart of New York category. How many pieces should I submit?

A See answer to the Nellie Bly question, above.

Q I have three radio reports to enter as a series, each contained in a separate MP3 file. Your entry form accommodates only one file to be uploaded as a Main Entry. How do I get around this?

A Combine all three reports sequentially into a single audio file and upload the result as an MP3 (or WAV) file.

Q I have several photos to enter for a particular award. Your entry form accommodates only one file to be uploaded as a main entry. How do I get around this?

A Combine all photos into a single PDF file, each on its own page, and upload the PDF document.

Q Must I include a cover letter with each entry?

A No. Cover letters are not required. However, they are likely to be of help to the judges if they contain useful context information about the entry with a minimum of hyperbole. We recommend that cover letters be included as the first page of your Main Entry file. Cover letters may also be uploaded separately as a PDF file in the spot designated for them on the entry form.

Q What is the distinction between a cover letter and a synopsis?

A Cover letters are not required, a synopsis is required. The synopsis should be a very brief description of what the piece is about and is intended to provide the judges with context. Logistical details should not be included in the synopsis. Sumbit only a thumbnail description of the entry that sums up for the judges what they are about to view.

Q If my category choice is incorrect, do the judges have the option of moving my entry to a different category?

A NO. You must decide which is the most appropriate category for your material. The judges will not move an entry to a different category. Some material might be appropriate in more than one category; however, it is up to you to decide which category to enter. (Entries entered into categories that are inappropriate are subject to disqualification).

A The only limitation is that a particular piece can be entered into only one category*. There is no limit on the number of different pieces that can be entered into a single category.

For example, a reporter wishing to enter Story "A" may enter that story into only one category. But that reporter may also enter stories "B", "C", and "D" - on different topics - into the same category. Once entered, none of the stories may be entered into any other category.

* An exception exists for entries made by different talents on the creation team. For example, in TV, an entry may be submitted by a reporter for one of the editorial awards. The same entry may also be entered by the shooter for one of the photo or videography awards.

Q Please clarify length-limits for entries.

A Length limits are in place to assure that the judges see "the heart" of the material entered.

A 5,000 word entry applies to each individual print or Web entry. For series or multi-part entries, a 5-piece, 5,000 word limit applies.

For example, let's say a newspaper ran a 10-piece series in daily installments. To enter the series, editors would select up to five installments from the 10 in the series (the "heart" of the material) and the combined word count for all five installments would have to come in at not much more than 5,000 words. Sidebars do not count as installments but they do contribute to word count.

Entries must be made in digital form and uploaded to this Web site. There is a maximum file size of 50MB for each file uploaded. Files larger than 50MB will not transfer.

Print Material: PDF optimized for Web viewing. Max. size: 8.5" x 14".

Photos: PDF, JPEG / JPG at Web resolution (72 - 150ppi). Multiple photos submitted for a single award must be included in a single PDF.

Audio Material: MP3 or WAV formats only.

Video Material: Video must be self-hosted and submitted as a URL. "Self-hosted" includes video hosted by services such as YouTube, Vimeo, et. al. Video must be viewable over a conventional, "consumer grade" broadband connection and be free from passwords or other access restrictions.

Web Entries: 10 URL fields are provided on each form for individual or multi-part Web entries or Web adjuncts to broadcast or print entries. Each URL field includes a companion description field into which you may (and should) place explanatory information.

Cover Letter: Cover letters are not required but are advised to provide the judges with context. Cover letters must be submitted as PDF's in the specified entry form field. When possible, cover letters can (and should) be inserted as the first page of the entry file.

2011 Winners

Series about the inner workings of a typical NYC police precinct based on recordings made by Officer Adrian Schoolcraft showing evidence of downgrading of crime, summons quotas, stop and frisk quotas, civil rights violations, and staffing problems.

Best single newscast based on news judgment, production, writing, editing and delivery.

TV

"Freak Summer Storm"

News 12 Staff

News 12 Westchester

Sports News

Coverage of professional and amateur athletics.

Internet

"Heading For Trouble"

Peter Keating, Alexa Pozniak

ESPN

Magazine

"Uncontested"

Peter Keating

ESPN the Magazine

Newspaper

"Concussion Series"

Alan Schwarz

The New York Times

Radio

"Yankee Fans Head to Anaheim"

Glenn Schuck

Metro Networks

TV

"Amazing Athletes"

Virginia Huie, Brian Endres

News 12 Long Island

Spot News

Unplanned, unscheduled coverage requiring an immediate response, published during or soon after an event.

Internet

"Ahmadinejad Says Obama Should Back Off"

TIME.com Staff

TIME.com

Magazine

"TIME's Michael Jackson Commemorative"

TIME Staff

TIME

Newspaper

"Miracle on the Hudson"

The Staff of the New York Daily News

The New York Daily News

Newswire

"Hudson River Splashdown"

AP New York City Bureau

The Associated Press

Radio

"Miracle On The Hudson"

WCBS-AM News Team

WCBS-AM 880 Newsradio

TV

"Yonkers Firefighter Death"

News 12 Staff

News 12 Westchester

Spot News Photo

Best photograph of a news story or event under breaking news conditions.

Newspaper

"The Decision"

Michael Schwartz

The New York Daily News

2009 Winners

Gold Keyboard

(Single Award) Outstanding enterprise or investigative reporting.

"Message Machine"

David Barstow

The New York Times

The culmination of a two year investigation, the reporting focused on how the Pentagon, under former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, constructed an elaborate disinformation apparatus to sell the Bush Administration’s case for war and a long occupation in Iraq.

Finalists:
Mark Thompson, TIME Magazine, "America's Medicated Army" sheds light on one of the least publicized but most controversial new weapons used by U.S. fighting forces today:
anti-depressant drugs.

New York Daily News, series reporting on financing irregularities in the construction of the new Yankee Stadium.

Nellie Bly Cub Reporter

(Single Award) Best journalistic effort by an individual with three years or less professional experience.

Underwriters

An underwriter of the Press Club's Awards for Journalism ceremony and our Foundation's annual Holiday Party for charity,
Con Edison Inc. has been supplying the energy that powers New York for more than 180 years.
Click to learn more.